Christmas cheer comes to Pestalozzi

19 December 2013

A warm and welcoming atmosphere, lively performances and a market stalls from local craftspeople helped make our Christmas afternoon a success. The event took over £1000.

Perhaps it was the first carol singalong of the season, led by Pestalozzi staff and students, that brought a smile to everyoneâ€™s faces â€“ or maybe it was the hearty mulled wine, tasty mince pies and mouth-watering seasonal sandwiches. "This is one of the loveliest events Iâ€™ve ever been to,â€ť commented one local woman, and many other happy guests echoed her sentiment.

Children were well catered for, with youngsters meeting a jolly Belizean Santa, joining Pestalozzi students to make pomanders (clove oranges) and paper wreaths, guessing the weight of the home-made gingerbread house and taking time to pat Candy and Floss, the two Shetland pony reindeer.

The real showstopper of the afternoon was a storytelling session by Pestalozzi students from Nepal, Uganda and Zambia. As the audience gathered around in a circle, the storytellers evoked the cultures and conflicts experienced by young people around the world. The moving stories of love, happiness, hardship and hard work were deeply personal, but universal in their themes. You can watch a video of Pratiksha Sharma's story here.

Pestalozziâ€™s CEO Sue Walton thanked market stall holders, raffle prize donors and Pestalozzi friends old and new who supported the event. "This was a wonderful start to the season, and on behalf of Pestalozzi I would like to wish you all seasonâ€™s greetings and a very happy new year."